This got me thinking if you had too choose only ONE lens money no object what would it be and why?

Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS

Small, light, very good (even wide open), excellent build quality and a perfect match for APSc bodies as a normal lens. Also, stabilized.

^This.

Or if there ever manifests the currently-fantastical OSS-equipped version of the SEL24F18Z, which I think is a more useful FoV.

Of course, 1) "money no object" is merely rhetorical fodder, and 2) you have an ILC - to choose only one lens misses the entire point of it being an ILC. Like buying a Rolex to use as a hammer. Because there are some very good fixed-lens cameras out there these days.

The much better questions for a photographer would either be:

1) "I can only afford to buy one lens right now. What would be a good do-it-all-lens?"

2) "I have a limited budget right now. What lenses would be good to start with that I won't feel compelled to upgrade from in awhile?"

Otherwise:

3) "I'm an aesthete. My camera is part tool, part fetish. I want that *one special lens* I can put on it so I can stroke it like a bauble-extension of my ego. What is the one lens, money-no-object, that I should consider?"

Y'all know its true.

Excellent points! As an one-do-it-all lens, the kit zoom is unbeatable, since it covers a very useful focal range and is stabilized.

As a cheap, affordable alternative with a better quality than the kit lens, I would go with either one of the two sigma lenses (19 & 30mm). Both are stellar performers for everday use.

If you need a truly fast lens and if you don't mind manual focus, then the Voigt 35 or 40 mm are real beasts, providing a fantastic IQ as fast as f/1.4.

The good thing about the Nexes is you have really awesome choices, many of which have a great bang for the buck.--www.flicker.com/davidsphotoblog777